Juan Carlos Castaño confirms that the wait will soon be over for Tour de France winner
Contrary to reports in the Spanish media, the Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) will reach a verdict on the case of Tour de France winner Alberto Contador this Thursday, RFEC president Juan Carlos Castaño told Reuters. The 28-year-old rider tested positive for trace amounts of banned substance clenbuterol on and around the second rest day of the race last July but a decision on whether or not he will be disqualified or suspended has yet to be reached.
When asked by British journalist Alasdair Fotheringham if Contador would learn of his fate this week, Castaño conceded that: “Yes, we aren’t going to delay this any longer.”
Earlier this month the RFEC confirmed that it had sent scientific documentation on the case to the anti-doping commission of the International Cycling Union (UCI), seeking advice on the matter. It later denied reports in the Spanish media that it had requested that the UCI took the responsibility of making the decision, and the UCI stated that it welcomed the request for its opinion.
“This is completely standard practice, and the UCI welcomed the RFEC’s request,” read a statement from the sport’s governing body at the time.
However, it appears that, despite the RFEC’s request for guidance from the UCI, none has been forthcoming and the Spanish are now set to make the decision alone.
“We’ve heard nothing from the UCI, it’s been over a month,” said Castaño to Reuters. “We’re not going to delay it any further.”
According to un-named sources within the RFEC yesterday, Contador looks set to receive a one-year suspension. This verdict perhaps reflects the Spanish governing body’s acceptance of Contador’s explanation that the clenbuterol must have entered his system via food contamination but also that, under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) policy of strict liability, anything in the rider’s system is ultimately his responsibility.
Since he has not raced since last year’s Tour, and has been officially out of competition since he was first informed of his positive test by the UCI, Contador’s suspension would likely be backdated to last August. This would mean that he would miss this year’s Tour but be eligible to race in the Vuelta a España.
Under the WADA code the standard penalty for a first doping offence – be it for a system of premeditated EPO and blood-doping, or for inadvertantly taking an unapproved cough medicine – is two years. Should Contador receive a ban of just one year, the UCI or WADA would be within their rights to appeal to the Court for Arbitration in Sport (CAS).
Should Contador be sanctioned at all over the positive test, he will be stripped of his Tour victory, which would likely be handed to second-placed Andy Schleck.